Budget Scale

Editor Rating: $75-$100USD per day - Backpackers on a bare-bones budget can squeak by on much less than this, but once you start adding activities into the mix (like diving the Great Barrier Reef, which is what draws most travelers to Cairns), that per day budget starts going up.

Indie Travel Scale

Editor Rating: 6 - Cairns became popular because of the natural beauty that surrounds it. We are of the mindset that you can have an indie travel experience pretty much anywhere, but some places are simply built for the travel industry, and Cairns is one of those places.